I like this movie as much as Spider-Man 2.
In my opinion, the film is very respectful not only of the continuity of the 7 previous movies but also their spirit.
In the movie, Doc Ock, the Goblin, Electro carry more weight than the Lizard & Sandman.
There are a lot of fan-pleasing moments (in-jokes, Easter eggs, meta-references...).
My speculation in the previous message below proved to be false. There is no 6th villain. However, most of the other theories on internet proved to be right!
The movie is darker & grimmer than the 2 previous ones and closer to the tone of the other 5 movies. Yes, the time has come for tragedy.
Venom only appeared in a mid-credits scene.